Katy Carter Wants a Hero (42 page)

‘No, but I knew he was coming. Sort of.’

‘Sort of?’ says Ol.

‘Just be honest,’ Nina snaps. ‘You’re getting back together, aren’t you? You’re going to dump poor Gabriel and go running back to James.’

‘No!’ I splutter. ‘I’d rather chew my legs off!’

‘That’s not what James says.’ Nina’s enjoying this. God only knows what rubbish James has been feeding her. I should imagine he’s taken another look at Jewell’s lovely house and is seeing pound signs again. ‘He says you guys are on the phone non-stop.’

Ollie looks at me. Bewilderment is etched across his face.

‘Hardly non-stop,’ I say quickly. ‘Just a few texts now and then. And he popped over to see me yesterday.’

‘You never mentioned that,’ Ol says quietly.

‘That’s because there’s nothing to mention. Anything else I’ll have to explain later. Alone.’

Nina places one claw on Ollie’s arm. ‘We really need to talk, but not out here. Let’s go inside where it’s warmer.’

‘Five minutes,’ says Ollie, his mouth set in a grim line. ‘Five minutes and that’s all.’

I feel queasy with nerves. What is James cooking up now?

‘Half an hour, remember,’ Ol says, looking back at me over his shoulder. The fairy lights bring out the golden streaks in his hair. ‘Thirty minutes — unless you change your mind.’

‘I won’t,’ I promise. ‘No way.’

The door opens; chatter and music drift into the garden and are truncated swiftly when the door clicks shut.

Ollie doesn’t glance back. In spite of the tender kisses of only moments ago, I can feel the foundations of my happiness turn to quicksand.

Goose bumps pimple my arms. ‘What’s James been telling her?’

‘Some old bollocks,’ says Frankie airily. ‘I shouldn’t worry about that. Ollie loves you, girlfriend.’

‘You reckon?’ Now Ollie’s gone, it’s like the minutes before were a dream; certainties roll away like mercury.

Frankie nods. ‘Oh yeah, I reckon. I could have told you that months ago. Everyone knows he’s mad about you.’

They do? How come nobody ever thought to mention it to me? Thanks a bundle everyone.

Frankie gives me a watery smile. ‘You’re lucky to have someone who loves you like that.’

‘You’ve got Gabriel.’

Frankie’s head droops. ‘Have I?’ He looks up, and I’m horrified to see that his eyes are bright with tears. ‘Is that the Gabriel who pretends to be straight so that his precious career is safe and who is paying you to pretend to be his girlfriend?’

Um, yeah.

That Gabriel.

‘It’s pointless,’ wails Frankie, shoulders slumped and face buried in his hands. ‘What sort of future do we have if he won’t even acknowledge me? Is that love, Katy? Is it?’

‘But he can’t!’ I remind him. ‘You knew that from the start. Gabriel’s career is really important. You told me that yourself.’

‘More important than me?’ Frankie dashes the back of his hand across his eyes. ‘He’s never going to tell anyone, is he? I’ll always be the guilty little secret that’s hidden away. What’s the point?’

‘So what’s the solution? Gabriel has to come out?’

‘God, no!’ Frankie looks horrified. ‘That would crucify him. And he’s adamant it’ll ruin his future as an actor. Nobody must ever find out the truth.’ He grips my arms. ‘Promise you won’t say anything? To anyone?’

‘I’ve got to tell Ollie.’

‘No!’ Frankie cries. ‘You can’t tell anyone. If this gets out it will wreck everything for Gabriel. It’ll destroy him!’

‘Then you’d better think very carefully about any decisions you make from now on, Katy.’

Hey? That’s not Frankie’s voice. I must have overindulged in the champagne and am actually snoring in a drunken heap somewhere, because unless Frankie can add ventriloquism to his list of talents, I would swear that it was James who just spoke.

There’s a rustle from behind the lilac trees and a black shape materializes.

I
am
having a weird trip. Not only have I spent the evening kissing Ollie, but now Darth Vader has appeared in my godmother’s garden. I’m bitterly disappointed. I’ll wake up in a minute, Ollie will still be with Nina and I’ll still be eating my heart out in Cornwall.

Bummer.

‘Arrgh!’ squeaks Frankie. ‘Who’s that?’ and he jumps to his feet, tipping me off the bench and smack on to the gravel.

Ouch. I’ll be picking it out of my knees for weeks.

Guess that means I am awake then.

‘Do you know,’ says Darth Vader, slowly peeling off his mask, ‘I often find that you learn some very interesting things when you skulk in bushes. People tend to be very indiscreet. ‘ He shakes his head and a lock of dark hair falls over his eyes. ‘Hello, Chubs,’ says James, ‘fancy seeing you here, and Frankie too.’ He looks us up and down and raises an eyebrow. ‘Very…
interesting
.’

I gulp. Just how much has he heard?

‘You’ve got exactly five seconds to fuck off,’ Frankie says, in a voice tight with emotion. ‘Otherwise I’m going to give you such a pasting that you’ll be shitting teeth for weeks.’

‘What with?’ sneers James. ‘Your handbag?’

‘He’s not worth it,’ I say. ‘Calm down.’

‘Calm down?’ Frankie sounds like he’s ready to show Vesuvius a thing or two about erupting. ‘He spies on us and eavesdrops and you think I should leave him alone? After all he’s done to you?’

He steps forward and James takes a hasty pace backwards, stumbling a little over his robes. Not very Dark Side of him.

‘This isn’t about Katy,’ says James quickly. ‘But I’m fascinated by
your
little romance. Who’d have thought Gabriel Winters is a faggot? Not quite the image he wants to create, is it?’

‘Right,’ snarls Frankie, ‘that’s it.’ And suddenly James is sprawling in the grass, blood dribbling from his nose.

‘Frankie!’ I shriek. ‘You’ve punched him!’

‘Ow! That really hurt.’ Frankie rubs his right hand in amazement. ‘I hope my hand isn’t broken.’

James is mopping his nose with his Darth Vader sleeve.

‘You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that,’ he sniffs. ‘You’ve just put my price up significantly.’

I sigh. ‘I’ve told you already, James, I haven’t got the kind of money you need. I’m really sorry that you’ve got yourself in a mess, but I can’t help you.’

‘You might not have any money. But Gabriel Winters certainly has. And I reckon he’ll be more than happy to pay me to keep quiet about him and his boyfriend, don’t you?’

‘You can’t do that!’ I’m aghast. How could we have been so careless as to discuss Gabriel’s secret somewhere so public? Why, oh why, wasn’t my tongue amputated at birth?

‘Of course I can,’ smirks James. ‘Unless you have a better idea?’

I haven’t actually. I stare at him in horror, this cold stranger whom I once believed myself to be in love with. How could my judgement have been so bloody awful?

Actually, let’s not answer that.

‘That’s blackmail,’ Frankie says bleakly.

James pulls a morose face. ‘Sorry and all that. Tell you what, though, Chubs, why don’t I give you a little while to think about it?’ He glances at his wrist, or rather at the blank space where his Rolex used to be, which spoils the effect somewhat. ‘How about thirty minutes? That should be enough time to go and tap good old Auntie for a loan. Half a million should cover it.’

‘Half a million!’ Frankie starts to laugh. ‘You’re insane. Jewell isn’t worth that.’

‘Oh, I think you’ll find she is,’ says James. ‘I did my homework there. Did you know she has a dicky heart too? Amazing the documents people leave lying around. So careless.’

I’m speechless.

‘So, half an hour then?’ James smiles, or rather his thin lips twitch. ‘You can let me know if I need to go to the papers, or whether Gabriel Winters and I need to have a little chat about his love life. And don’t think that I won’t say anything. There’s a little blonde journalist here desperate for a story. I’m sure she’d pay me a fortune for the information you’ve just divulged.’

That oblivion sensation is back. How did this go from being one of the best evenings of my life to the worst?

‘Frankie! Katy!’ The French doors swing open and Jewell’s face peeks out into the darkness, her eyes straining into the darkness. ‘You naughty things! You’ve ruined the pairings. What is darling Ollie doing with that vulgar blonde?’

Nothing, I hope.

Jewell beckons at us. ‘Hurry up. I’ve got an announcement to make.’

‘She’s not the only one,’ warns James.

Frankie clutches my fingers so hard the bones groan.

Jewell claps her hands. ‘Everybody in now! The fun is just beginning.’

‘It certainly is,’ says James. He catches my arm, pulling me towards him. ‘I’m not messing about; I will have that money one way or another.’

He stalks in ahead of me, black robes swirling around him. I’m surprised I don’t hear the doom-laden tones of the Imperial Death March and see a couple of storm-troopers just for good measure.

‘Help me, Obi-Wan,’ I mutter.

‘Is he bullshitting?’ asks Frankie, pale with worry.

‘I wish. Apparently he’s in serious financial trouble, something to do with insider trading. Ed Grenville says he owes a fortune and it’s being called to account any day now.’

‘Christ,’ whistles Frankie. ‘That’s serious shit. He could go to prison.’

‘So he’s desperate,’ I say. ‘If we can’t find the cash he’ll go to the papers.’

‘That can’t happen!’ Frankie cries. ‘It’ll destroy Gabe. He’ll never forgive me if I ruin his career. Acting is his life.’

As we enter the hall, Frankie glances across at the stairway where Gabriel, unaware that his secret is only minutes from being blown out of the water, is smiling and chatting with his adoring public.

‘No chance of telling the truth?’ I ask.

‘No way! He’d never agree to that. He’d rather end it with me. You can’t let that happen, Katy.’

Catching sight of me, Gabriel breaks away from his admirers and strides through the crowd to pull me to his side. ‘Everyone!’ He raises his voice, only slightly, but instantly all attention is focused on him. ‘You all know my very special girlfriend, Katy Carter.’

There are nods and murmurs of assent. James is standing slightly apart from the others with his arms folded and a mocking smile on his face.

‘Katy’s made me really happy,’ boasts the unsuspecting Gabriel. ‘I want to make her happy too. I’ve been thinking of a way to thank her for ages, and then one evening it came to me.’ He pauses, and every eye in the place is trained on him. ‘Katy writes, and she’s very talented.’

What would Gabriel know about writing? The only thing he ever reads is the reviews about his own performances, and even then he only bothers with the good ones.

‘She’s just written a marvellous novel,’ he gushes, making sure that all attention is riveted on him. ‘It’s called
Heart of the Highwayman
. My agent has seen it and we’ve passed it to a team of screenwriters, who are desperate to make it into a film.’ Gabriel pulls me into his arms and drops a kiss at the corner of my mouth. ‘I’m taking the starring role. Congratulations, darling! You’ve made it!’

A ripple of applause spreads around the hallway. I’m frozen with disbelief.

How dare he?

How dare Gabriel help himself to Jake and Millandra without asking me first? How dare he decide that he’s going to be Jake? He’s nothing like Jake. As if Jake would spend three hours in the hairdresser’s or employ a stylist. I don’t think so!

This is my fault for leaving the notebooks on the coffee table. No wonder Seb was nosing around. He’s like a bloodhound when it comes to PR, and spins more than my washing machine.

‘Yes!’ Gabriel is laughing in response to a question. ‘Of course she’ll be paid. Very handsomely.’

Plop. Plop. Hear the brown smelly stuff hit the fan. He’s talking to James.

James turns to me. ‘That’s great news. You’ll have lots of money, Katy.’

I open my mouth but there are no words. I ought to be over the moon, delighted, dizzy with success. But it’s all wrong. I feel like I’ve been bundled into a car and am being kidnapped. A glass of champagne is pressed into my hand and a throng of people are asking me how I feel and congratulating me.

‘Well done,’ James says softly, drifting past in a swirl of black robes. ‘At least someone likes that pathetic drivel. Doesn’t this solve all our problems?’

I guess if it gets James off my back I can sacrifice Jake and Millandra to Gabriel’s ego. I might have wanted to write romantic novels, but maybe I can grit my teeth and tolerate a cheesy bodice-ripper, with Gabriel sauntering around in leggings.

I look around for Ollie. There he is, by the door. I wish desperately that Gabriel didn’t have a possessive arm draped around me.

‘Are you thrilled?’ asks Angela Andrews.

‘Of course she is!’ says Gabriel. ‘It’s what you’ve dreamed of, isn’t it darling?’

‘Yes,’ I bleat. In my worst nightmares.

‘And we’ve got so much to look forward to.’ Gabriel is a tsunami and I’m totally flattened before his plans. I try to edge away towards the door but his hand holds my wrist like a vice. ‘My new series begins next week.’

Angela Andrews looks less than riveted. ‘Will the rumours about your sexuality affect the reception that gets?’

Gabriel throws back his head and laughs. I’m quite impressed, to be honest. I know that he’s wetting himself, but to all and sundry he just looks amused.

‘Not that old chestnut!’ He shakes his golden head and pulls me close. ‘I think that Katy can vouch for the fact that it’s nothing more than gossip.’

I try to cross my toes, fingers, legs, anything. I am so going to hell. ‘Absolutely!’

Angela’s eyes narrow. ‘There’s no truth in any of the rumours?’

I shoot a sideways glance at James, who raises an eyebrow.

‘Of course not!’ Gabriel sweeps me into his arms in true Mills and Boon style. ‘In fact, you can be the first to congratulate us. Katy has just done me the honour of agreeing to marry me. We’re getting engaged!’

My mouth is hanging open now. You could drive the 207 bus in there and still have room for the rest of the depot.

Gabriel’s lost the plot. And I am going to kill him.

‘Congratulations!’ People surge forward and my cheeks are kissed and my hand shaken. For a moment I’m dazed, then I’m so pissed off that I’m surprised I don’t explode.